UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- May 18
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland took place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Sean Strickland became the UFC middleweight champion for the second time by defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) in one of the biggest title upsets of the 2026 season. It was the first loss of Chimaev's UFC career, ending a 15-fight unbeaten run that had included dominant wins over Usman, Whittaker, and du Plessis.
For the second time in his career, Strickland overcame odds of more than 4-to-1 to claim a UFC title. He survived a dominant opening round — Chimaev threw him around the cage, threatened with rear-naked choke attempts from back control, and dominated for five minutes. But Strickland fought off every submission attempt and kept the position moving. In round two, Chimaev gassed. Strickland's jab-heavy volume attack took over, and he out-landed Chimaev 43-29 in significant strikes in round three. Though Chimaev recovered slightly in round four and five — including another takedown in the fifth — the two judges who scored it 48-47 for Strickland had seen enough. In the co-main, Joshua Van defended the flyweight title with a fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira in a Fight of the Year contender.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
📍 Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA
📺 Broadcast: Paramount+
🏆 Main Event: Khamzat Chimaev (c) vs. Sean Strickland — UFC Middleweight Championship (185 lbs)
✅ Result: Strickland def. Chimaev via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — Strickland wins title
🥇 Co-Main: Joshua Van (c) def. Tatsuro Taira via TKO (punches) — R5 — Flyweight Title
The Build-Up
The build-up was acrimonious. Strickland's characteristically provocative pre-fight comments drew Chimaev's ire; the tension between the camps was genuine and visible throughout fight week. Chimaev entered as Uncrowned's No. 3-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and a heavy favourite. He had defended the title at UFC 319 with a 50-44 shutout. Strickland had been 31-7 — far from a sure path back to the title. He was more than 4-to-1 on many sportsbooks. Twice they touched gloves during final instructions and at the start of the fight — one of the few moments of respect in the entire build-up.
Main Event: Strickland vs. Chimaev
Round one was all Chimaev. He shot instantly, secured a takedown within seconds, threatened with back control and rear-naked choke attempts for the entire five minutes. Strickland spent the round defending on the canvas, fighting off multiple submission attempts. Nobody who watched round one thought Strickland would win the fight.
Round two changed everything. Chimaev was visibly fatigued — the effort of that relentless first round had drained his gas tank. He shot from too far out; Strickland stuffed the attempt and ended up on top. Rather than work on the ground, Strickland backed off and let him stand — bringing Chimaev back into striking range where Strickland's Philly Shell and his jab output gave him clear advantages. Round three was spent entirely on the feet; Strickland out-landed Chimaev 43-29 in significant strikes. Chimaev failed to attempt a single takedown.
Chimaev rallied in rounds four and five — he found body shots, landed some power punches, and secured a late takedown in each round. But Strickland's jab kept landing. Two judges scored it 48-47 for Strickland; one had it 47-48 for Chimaev. Sean Strickland was the UFC middleweight champion for the second time. Post-fight: 'I want to apologize to my American fans, my Muslim fans, my Christian fans — I went too f***ing hard.' Chimaev stormed out of the cage, furious.
Co-Main: Van vs. Taira — Fight of the Year Contender
Joshua Van defended the flyweight title in a thrilling back-and-forth bout that went to the fifth round before Van secured a TKO stoppage. Taira had been the most dangerous challenger at 125 lbs; the fight delivered on every expectation. Van's stoppage in round five confirmed his status as a legitimate, active champion rather than a one-fight title wonder. The fight immediately entered the 2026 Fight of the Year conversation.
Full Results
Main Card (Paramount+)
Sean Strickland def. Khamzat Chimaev (c) — Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — Middleweight Title
Joshua Van (c) def. Tatsuro Taira — TKO (punches) — R5 — Flyweight Title
Alexander Volkov def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) — Heavyweight
Sean Brady def. Joaquin Buckley — Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27) — Welterweight
King Green def. Jeremy Stephens — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R1 — Lightweight
Preliminary Card
Jim Miller def. Jared Gordon — Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 3:29 — Lightweight
Grant Dawson def. Mateusz Rebecki — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R3, 4:42 — Lightweight
Yaroslav Amosov def. Joel Alvarez — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R2 — Welterweight
Baisangur Susurkaev def. Djorden Santos — Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) — R3, 4:12 — Middleweight
Roman Kopylov def. Marco Tulio Roman — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Middleweight
Pat Sabatini def. William Gomis — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — Featherweight
Ateba Gautier def. Ozzy Diaz — TKO (punches) — R2 — Middleweight
Records & Milestones
• Strickland becomes the second two-time UFC middleweight champion (Anderson Silva, Strickland).
• Chimaev's first UFC loss: his 15-fight unbeaten run is over. Record: 15-1.
• Strickland's second title win by split decision over a heavy favourite (also beat Adesanya by UD as a heavy underdog in 2023).
• Joshua Van's first flyweight title defense — his seventh consecutive UFC victory.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 328 delivered the most controversial result of the 2026 Paramount era. Strickland's ability to survive Chimaev's dominant round one — arguably the best round of Chimaev's title reign — and then out-work him on the feet for rounds two and three as Chimaev's gas tank emptied was the story of the fight. Chimaev's conditioning has now been exposed twice: against du Plessis at UFC 319 he expended enormous energy in the first round and barely had issues; against Strickland he faded dramatically. The 4-to-1 underdog story, the two-time champion narrative, and the split decision controversy made UFC 328 one of the most discussed cards of the year.
FAQ
How did Strickland survive round one?
Defensive wrestling and keeping the position moving. Unlike du Plessis at UFC 319 — who stayed flat on the canvas for extended periods — Strickland kept moving throughout the back control exchanges, preventing Chimaev from setting up the rear-naked choke and forcing the Chechen to burn energy repeatedly repositioning. By the end of round one Chimaev had exerted enormous effort; Strickland had survived without being damaged. That energy deficit proved decisive.
Comments